Bumper bar



Dec. 10, 1929. A. M. DUNCAN BUMPER BAR Filed June 28, 1928 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED MELVILLE DUNCAN, OF GLOVELLY, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES,

AUSTRALIA BUMPER BAR Application filed June 28, 1928, Serial No.

This invention relates to bumper bars for motor vehicles and has reference to bumper bars for attachment either at the rear or frontof the vehicle.

It has been found that a number of the bumper bars at present in use project beyond the line of the wheels or mud-guards and in the case of the rear bars are liable to strike persons and objects when turning. It has been found that in congested areas difficulty has been experienced in parking the vehicle in small spaces owing to the extent to whichthe bumper bars extend, particularly when the wheels are locked. It frequently happens in cases of this nature that the bumper bars of one vehicle become locked in those of another vehicle, or catch against protruding objects.

An object of the present invention is to devise a bumper bar which will obviate the above disadvantages and enable a vehicle to be parked or turned with greater case.

A further object is to provide a bumper bar which will yield to pressure brought to bear upon it from a direction opposite to that at which the bumper bar is normally-to operate.

The invention resides more particularly in a bumper bar composed of sections hinged or pivoted to their supporting portions in such manner that they can be turned on their hinge or pivot through an angle of approximately 90 or less when desired, or automatically. For instance, automatic movement is desired when the front bumper strikes an object when the vehicle is moving backwards or when the rear bumper strikes an object when the vehicle is moving forward.

The following are examples of occasions when it is desired to move the hinged sections by hand. When limited parking space is provided; when it is desired to approach or leave a curbstone with the wheels locked; and when it is desired to use the hinged sections of the bumper bar to support luggage.

According to the invention the bumper bar is made of flat, round or other section steel bars which are formed into sections adapted to be pivoted to the chassis of the vehicle or to 50 supporting brackets carried thereby. The

288,890, and in Australia August 8, 1927.

bars constituting the bumper sections may be disposedvertically or horizontally or in any other convenient manner.

The bumper bar sections are hinged or pivoted in such manner that when fitted on. the front of the vehicle they are rigid when encountered by an object in front thereof, and are capable of yielding on their pivots when encountered by an object in the rear thereof,

as for instance the tire or other parts of an of hinged bumper bar, shown attached to the front of a motor vehicle, and showing in v dotted lines, one section partly folded into the position it would assumewhen striking an object when the vehicle is being driven backwards.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of a bumper bar of the type illustrated in Figure 1 showing in dotted lines its normal position when applied to the rear of a motor vehicle, and

showing in full lines the manner in which the hinged or pivoted sections may be turned by hand if it is desired to use them for supporting luggage.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view showing in full lines one of the bumper bar sections in its;

normal position, and by dotted lines the section turned to the external position upon its pivots.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the two hinged sections connected by transverse? members.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view showing a suitable means for carrying supporting bars for use when the bumper sections are folded back into the position shown in Figure 2.

The hinged bumper bar sections may be formed with one or more flat, or round section bars 6 which are adapted to be connected to1 the chassis member 7 by a bracket 8 or the li (e.

The barseoiare hinged ,toithe brackets 8, by pivotsj9ianfd as shown inlEigure 1, maybe coupled together at their ends by a pin lO.

HThebrackets S are provided with lugs llto -which are attached a pair of spring clips l2 adapted to engage a knob 13 on one ofthe bars 6, see Figure 3, and prevent the bumper sections from turning upon their pivots 9 unless under. action ofapplied forceinia 15 direction opposite to that at which the "*rbumpenis 'normallyito operate.

:In iEigures 4 Q and: the =liinged-sections are formed of single fiat bars fi Whicharehinged to theinrespectivebrackets 8-by-pivots 9. The 91) rackets F8 are connected by strengthening members 2 114 through which the-pivots -9 are vpassed. Parallel to the-strengtheningmem- 'bers 154 a pair of luggagesupporting-members fi1'5 is-mounted bymeans of-eyebolts-16 disaas-posed for convenience upon thepivots 9. The luggage-supporting members serve as an additional protection to the car whendisposed in their normal position :as shown in Figure lbut when the hinged sectionsare -turned into the corresponding position to t-hatshown in Figure 2 theme1n=bers v15 are placed to act "as supports "for luggage, as shown in F igi2.

In practice the hinged sect-ionsconstitutin O 1135 the bumper bar are mountedatthe-front and rear 1 of the vehicle5-and would be operated -=automatically or by ha-n'd asoccasion -demanded.

I claim:

40 An improved bumper for motor vehicles comprising the combination'with bumper bar sections-composed'of one or-Inore bars, of-piv- "o'ts foreachof said'sections, brackets adapted 'to'support said sections and pivots iii-hinged R relationship, strengthening members connect- "ingthe bracketsand detachable members adapted "to ,act as luggage supporting yme'mbers. fIn ftcstimony'" hereof I have hereunto set P1450 my hand.

ALFRED M'ELVILIJE DUNCAN. 

